You may have already firmly decided to pursue higher education in the United States. However, the high cost of education in America is still a significant consideration. These high costs could potentially hinder you from realizing your dream.
Many prospective students face this issue. Therefore, to help you achieve your dream of continuing your education in the United States, you can apply for scholarships available to international students. Hopefully, these scholarships can help ease the financial burden you’ll have to bear.
Here are several types of scholarships for international students in the United States that you might be able to obtain:
Merit-Based Scholarships
This type of scholarship is awarded based on the academic achievements of prospective students. Internationally, it’s known as a merit-based or merit aid scholarship. These scholarships typically fund recipients throughout their studies or are given as a one-time award of a specific amount. According to U.S. News, in 2022-2023, the average scholarship amount given to students was $12,088 or about 195 million Indonesian Rupiah.
Examples of merit-based scholarships include:
- Fulbright Scholarship
A prestigious scholarship available to international students from any country. It’s aimed at students pursuing postgraduate studies or conducting research at a U.S. university. - National Merit Scholarship
An annual scholarship program offered by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC®) to high school students wishing to pursue higher education. To qualify, students must take the Preliminary SAT (PSAT)/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT) as an initial selection step.
Need-Based Scholarships
Internationally known as need-based scholarships, these are designed for students who have the ability to continue their education at a U.S. university but lack sufficient funding for their educational expenses.
These scholarships are awarded based on the financial condition of the prospective student’s family. There are no standard specific requirements for selection; criteria can vary greatly depending on the provider. Examples include:
- Need-based Financial Aid
In the U.S., both public and private universities often offer financial incentives to prospective students to encourage them to enroll. Most of these incentives are offered for postgraduate students. The incentives can be in the form of scholarships, grants, or student loans. - International Student Loan Program
Due to the high cost of education abroad, students often can’t pay tuition fees in cash. Therefore, some institutions offer loans to students to help cover educational expenses.
Athletic Scholarships
As the name suggests, athletic scholarships are given to students with athletic talent and achievements. Generally, U.S. universities look for talented athletes to place on their sports teams. As compensation, these talented students will be given scholarships to cover their educational costs. However, the amount of scholarship received can vary depending on whether the student receives a full or partial scholarship.
Examples of athletic scholarships include:
- NCAA Athletic Scholarships
These are offered by universities that are members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to talented athletes. NCAA member universities are further categorized into divisions. Universities providing scholarships are those in Division I and Division II. According to the official NCAA website, these universities successfully provide scholarships to 180,000 student-athletes each year. - NAIA Athletic Scholarships
Similar to the NCAA, these scholarships are also offered by universities that are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The scholarships can cover tuition, mandatory fees, books, room, and board.
Subject-Specific Scholarships
These scholarships go by various names. They are given to students who want to deepen their knowledge in a particular field of study. Fields of study known to often receive special scholarships include STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), arts, and humanities. Examples include:
- AAUW International Fellowship
This scholarship is provided by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to women from outside the U.S. who want to continue their education or research at a higher education institution in America. It’s available for any field of study, but priority is given to STEM fields. - Joint Japan/World Bank Graduate Scholarship
This scholarship is specifically for postgraduate students from developing countries who want to continue their education in a field of study relevant to their career.
Government Scholarships
These scholarships are organized by governments, either the U.S. government or the student’s home country government. Due to high demand, these scholarships usually have strict requirements and a high level of competition. Examples of government scholarships include:
- Fulbright Foreign Student Program
In addition to being a merit-based scholarship, this also falls under government scholarships. This program allows students from outside the U.S. to continue their studies and research at an American college or university. It targets postgraduate students. - USAID Scholarships
This scholarship program is conducted by the United States Agency for International Development. It’s aimed at students from developing countries who want to continue their education in the U.S. In Indonesia, this program has been available since 2007.
University-Specific Scholarships
In addition to the five scholarships mentioned above, each university in the U.S. typically offers its own scholarship programs. The requirements for these scholarships can be based on merit, financial need, or a combination of both. Here are examples of university-specific scholarships from renowned U.S. universities:
- Harvard University Scholarships
Harvard offers multiple scholarship programs to international students. Their offerings are quite diverse and can be differentiated based on financial need or merit. - Stanford University Scholarships
Stanford also has scholarship programs for international students. One of them is the Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowships, dedicated to students from India.
These are the types of scholarships that can be options for you to help continue your higher education in the United States. You can choose the type of scholarship based on your needs and abilities.
You can certainly get more detailed information on each university’s or relevant institution’s official website. Additionally, you can also get detailed information from AtAmerica advisors for free! Seeking information and preparing scholarship applications well is an important first step to realizing your dream of studying in the United States. So, what are you waiting for?
